John and Emily Rorquist

John, son of John and Alma, was born on January 17, 1927 in Wadena and his wife Emily (Swedberg), daughter of Hermin and Emelia, was born on May 22, 1927 in Wadena.

John Rorquist emigrated from Sweden in 1902 to Canada . In 1904 he moved to the Rorquist homestead near Wadena. Alma (Salmuelson) emigrated from Sweden in the early 1900’s. John has three siblings: Ivor, Myrtle, and Edwin Rorquist.

Hermin was born in the United States . In 1906 he moved to the Quill City area with his mother. Emelia was born in Sebeka , Minnesota . Emily has three siblings: Edwin, Wilfred, and Marie.

John and Emily were married on October 19, 1947. They have four children. Terry married Joanne Nordick and has two children: Cindy and Clayton. Raymond married Lorraine Danyluk and has three children: Michelle, Melissa, and Michael. Darryl married Deldelene Neimore and has two children: Chyvawn and Nathan. Shelly married Ivan Berlinick and has two children Mathew and Jeffery. John and Emily have three great-grandchildren.

John is on the Wadena & District Museum board and Emily is part of the Paswegin Tiger Lily Neighborly Club. John is a self proclaimed “grease monkey” and is often seen taking apart some old broken farm machinery and reinventing it to a completely different use. He still helps out on the farm that he shares with his son Terry and Edwin’s son Brian. This will be his sixtieth year of combining. Emily loves to be outside and has a wonderful garden with flowers of every size and color. She is also a fine hand at sewing – she made both hers and Myrtles wedding dress!

The couple lives on the original homestead John’s father established in 1904. John laughs when he recounts that he’s lived in this yard for his whole life! In 1983 the couple built the house they live in now, 20 feet from the house John grew up in.